At UWM, adult students and those returning to college after being away for a while have outstanding opportunities to continue their education. Just check out one of our adult info sessions.

UWM’s extensive program array offers you a wide range of academic options, including hundreds of online and blended courses to accommodate your busy life. We offer 23 degree programs that can be completed entirely during evening hours. Resources such as the UWM Children’s Center, the Life Impact Program, Military Education Benefits Office and many other support services help adult and returning students keep balance in their lives while earning a degree.

Admission Guidelines

Most adult students applying to UWM have some prior college experience. If so, admission typically requires at least an overall 'C' (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) grade point average on 12 or more transferable credits. Do you demonstrate the potential for academic success at UWM? To help determine this, we look at a number of factors.

If you have not attempted at least 12 credits, or if you have no prior college experience, your high school record will be reviewed to determine your admissibility. Applicants age 21 and over are not required to submit ACT/SAT scores, but we will take these into consideration if you opt to provide them.

Please note that admission to UWM, whether as a new or returning student, does not necessarily guarantee admission to your desired major or program. To gain admission to your major, you will need to meet specific GPA and credit requirements.

Applications are accepted beginning September 1 for the fall semester with a priority deadline of March 1st. After March 1st, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions will continue to review applications on a case-by-case basis until enrollment capacity has been reached.

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions continues to review spring 2015 applications for undergraduate programs other than those already at capacity. Apply by January 4th and submit all materials (test scores, transcripts, application fee) by January 9th. Materials received after January 9th will not be considered and students will be encouraged to change their application to a future term using the term change request form at admissionsforms.uwm.edu.

Early DeadlinesArchitecture applicants for fall have a March 1 priority deadline. After the priority date, applications are considered on a space-available basis. For nursing applicants, priority consideration is given to applications received by March 1 for fall semesters and December 1 for spring semesters.

Pay the $44 application processing fee
You may pay your fee online when you submit your application. Or, you may log back into your application to submit your fee online later. We also accept a check or money order. Students who are transferring directly from a two-year UW-College or who have previously attended UWM as a degree-seeking student do not need to pay this fee.

Send Transcripts
We require official transcripts, sent directly from the school, for both high school and college courses. Yes, we do require a high school transcript regardless of how long ago you attended high school. If you are currently taking college classes, please list these on the application form. We value your work at other institutions, and we want to award as much credit as possible. Visit our transfer credit page for more details.

Send Test Scores
Results from the ACT or the SAT are typically not required of applicants age 21 and over. However, if you've taken either test, we encourage you to provide us with your scores. Your results will be considered as supplemental academic information and may help strengthen your application. Test scores should be sent directly from the testing service. Our test codes are 4658 for the ACT and 1473 for the SAT.

If you have taken Advanced Placement exams (AP), International Baccalaureate exams (IB), or the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams and would like UWM to evaluate these scores for possible credit, please have your results sent from these testing agencies.

Students whose native language is not English and who were not educated in an entirely English-speaking country will likely need to submit results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Visit international admissions for more details.

Admission Decisions
Soon after we receive your application, we will send you information about how to check the status of your application online, via our PAWS (Panther Access to Web Services) student information system. Log onto PAWS to monitor your application “to do” items. Once all of the “to do” items disappear, your file is complete and is ready for an admission decision. During peak times, you may expect to wait 4-6 weeks for a decision.

Please note that additional "to do" items may appear during the application review process. Our comprehensive admission process may determine that the information provided does not assess a student's current academic competency. In order to ensure we are making the best decision regarding a student's admission, new information may be requested. Any student required to submit additional application materials will receive a letter from our office and the specific materials will be reflected on the student's PAWS account.